Consumer Survey Shows Fraud Concern

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New York City, The statistics are beginning to show that American consumers are more than just a little worried about information security. One out of every seven Americans has had personal and or credit-card information stolen. More than 60% say they are concerned for the safety of their personal and/or credit and debit-card information during the holiday season. Two-thirds of creditcard holders are more concerned about credit-card fraud and identity theft than they were last year. These figures were the result of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted on behalf of Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM. If the problem escalates, the worst-case scenario for retailers is a chilling affect on spending. “Consumers buy from retailers they trust and those retailers who are making security a priority will have a competitive advantage,” said Joseph Gagnon, global retail leader, IBM. “Advanced technologies, from sophisticated encryption to biometric technologies, are being developed by researchers to help retailers increase security and build that all-important trust with shoppers.”